What should I do if Im caught in an avalanche?
Depending on the situation there are a number of things that you should try to do: First, once the snow starts moving, try to get off the snow that is breaking up as soon as possible. You can get out of an avalanche early if you are close to the fracture line or close to the edge (or flank) especially if the snow isn’t too broken up. If you are close to one of these edges, do everything you can to move towards it. If the fracture line is just above you, try to allow the snow to move past you. For example, if you are on skis, side-step up, grab a tree, do whatever you possibly can. If the fracture line is way above you and you can’t make it to the side fast, point your skis or snowboard downhill, say a prayer if you are so inclined, go like hell and try to get out of the way lower down. There is a lot of controversy about what you should do if you are caught in the turning snow. First, see: ‘What is it like to be caught in an avalanche?’ above. Some say swim (since a person is about thr
